What’s a pitch deck and why does my ICO need one?

June 21, 2018

Unless you’ve entered some kind of hibernation, you’ll know that cryptocurrencies and ICO campaigns are still very much dominating the finance world. New tokens are cropping up everywhere – so if you’re looking for investment and want your ideas to get notices, here’s what you’ve got to do.

Put Your Trust in Marketing

Yes, it sounds corny, but marketing really does work – and we’re not just talking about your run-of-the-mill sales drivel either. To stand out from the crowd, you’ve got to be different, innovative and clear in your approach. You’ve got to be factual without being bland, concise without being blunt and informative without being patronising. You’ve got to make your product appealing.

Let’s just step out of the ICO world for a minute and look at a successful M&S marketing campaign. The company’s food porn ad which showcased a ‘melt-in-the-middle Belgian chocolate pudding served with extra thick Belgian clotted cream’ increased sales by 3500% showing how it pays to be creative.

Sure, you’d get some odd looks if you started talking gastronomic delights in an ICO presentation, but the point is you’ve got to captivate and tempt your target audience from the word go and that’s where a pitch deck comes into play – anyone else hungry?

What Is A Pitch Deck and Why Does My ICO Need One?

A pitch deck is a presentation that gives potential investors an idea of what your business is all about. It’s often created using PowerPoint or Keynote and is one of the most-important fundraising tools for any start-up.

A pitch deck should not be taken lightly. As an introduction to your business venture it needs to explain exactly what you want to achieve – and how. The pitch deck you present should also give an investor solid reasons why they should invest. So, what’s the formula?

In general, a good pitch deck will:

Explain your business in a few words

One of the worse things you can do in a pitch deck is waffle. To keep an investor’s attention you must use short, sharp and relevant sentences. All information should be presented in a clear and easy-to-read way which is why the use of slideshows is a particularly popular formatting choice. While you don’t want to talk down to investors – many of whom will have extensive ICO experience – you should avoid using overcomplicated language and explain trickier concepts where necessary.

Have a captivating introduction

Human beings have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. While in the year 2000 we could concentrate for around 12 seconds, our attention span has dropped down to eight seconds. Both tolerance and patience have gone out of the window, making it important to give your pitch deck a captivating introduction. You really need to hook your audience from the start or you could lose their interest – and investment – completely.

Be professional and on brand

First impressions count, so when introducing your business idea through a pitch deck, always remain as professional as possible. Stay on brand throughout your presentation and be sure that all information on your deck is up-to-date and relevant to your business. The last thing you want to be doing is making on-the-spot amends as you flick from slide to slide.

Focus on numbers and metrics

Where possible, focus on numbers and metrics. Social proof almost always works, so make the most of analytics and key statistics to excite investors. Things to include could be: unique visitors to your site; number of monthly alerts; average time spent on your site; information from a previous round of fundraising; successes complete with stats and such like.

Highlight the credentials of management

While some ICOS thrive; others crash and burn without even getting off the starting block. The question is: what makes an investor favour one company over another? Well, there’s no one answer but the credentials and experience of the management team are certainly a persuasive factor – so be sure to include this information on your pitch deck.

Investors need to have faith in the ICO itself as well as the team behind it, so there’s no harm in singing your own praises – just don’t overdo it as you don’t want to come across arrogant. Stick to the facts and you should be fine.

Explain how an investor can benefit

Investors want something in return. Of course they do. So, you must touch on how they can benefit during your presentation. Many investors are interested in long-term goals not just quick wins, so this could be something to focus on. You also need to be very clear on what you’re offering in return for investment. It’s also worth talking about exit strategies. These minimise risk and help to put an investor’s mind at ease.

Present a problem and a solution

Many successful pitch decks attract investors by:

Presenting a problem

Offering a solution

Showcasing USPs

Essentially, you need to tell the investor why your ICO is necessary and how it differs from other start-up ideas out there. Competition is rife in this current climate and therefore your pitch deck needs to stand out from the crowd and fend off competition in a fierce yet professional way.

If you need help putting together a pitch deck strong enough to raise the capital you need, contact the Contentworks team. Our experienced writers, social media managers and graphic designers can help you to attract ICO investors.